Most of you who know me – know that a dirty martini is my favorite mixed drink. It reminds me of a by gone era when women rarely left the house without hats and gloves and men wore suits with suspenders and always had handkerchiefs in their pockets.

Occasionally I like to spice things up a bit and try new ingredients in my martini. I don’t deviate much from the simple olive brine & vodka/gin. . . but I love finding spices and sauces that add that extra kick in the pants we all need once in a while.

This recipe is infused with flavor and is a perfect cocktail for those who aren’t afraid of a little heat.

What you will need:

East Coast Wings & Grill EXTRA HOT Wing Sauce (visit one of their locations or contact them to find out how you can get your own!) Full disclosure that my company Experience Farm DID design their website – but this is not a solicited post nor was I compensated in any way except for the free bottle of hot sauce!

It’s not surprising to learn that for 15 years in a row Whole Foods has remained one of the top companies to work for. Considering that the Triad is now host to two locations (Winston Salem & Greensboro) I wanted to share a few reasons that Whole Foods Market, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas, is one of only 13 companies that have made the list every year since its inception in 1998.

One thing that really stands out to me is the fact that they have one of the most equitable pay structures I have seen. Considering that the gap between CEO and worker pay has soared in recent decades it was refreshing to learn that Whole Foods Market is proud that they cap salaries of executives at 19 times the average full-time salary and hold no secrets from any employees when it comes to take home pay. For the record, Co-founder John Mackey‘s 2006 pay reduction to $1 a year hasn’t changed.

Employees, or ‘Team Members” as they are referred to, are rewarded for their healthy lifestyle with discounts of up to 30% off if they meet certain requirements. All employees receive a 20% discount, a six week unpaid vacation for every 6000 hours worked and those same Team Members also have access to 100% paid health care premiums. Yup. You heard me.

The fact that the company actually encourages it’s employees to submit ideas and then take and implement them to further company wide success is a testament as to why they have consistently made Fortune’s list.

I know that I am more impressed than ever with what I have learned about Whole Foods as a culture and a company and am happy they are here in the Triad. I never knew any of this information regarding how they operate until reading that Fortune article and visiting them online.

I am more determined now that ever to support them in our community.

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Does your family shop at Whole Foods? What is your most memorable experience?

Do you work at Whole Foods? What benefits did I miss that makes you a proud Team Member?

Carolyn’s bold colors and ‘one a day’ style was a refreshing break from the trite.

You can feel her sense of joy and unique commitment to color in what many would consider mundane subject matter. It was her visible joy in the everyday that drew me in and piqued my interest.

“My inspiration comes from my surroundings and relationships. I hope to be a student the rest of my life. I learn from painters such as Degas, Cassatt, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Sargent, Hopper, and Thiebaud. Also, I gain perspective and skill from more modern day masters such as Dawn Whitlaw, Michael Shane Neal, Paula Frizbe, Timothy Thies, and Carol Marine.”

For years I have collected maps to hang on my walls, fill my shelves and tuck in my weekend travel bags. My adventurous spirit has lead me on many journeys and I freely admit that I am drawn like a moth to a flame to the travelers design style, especially when I see vintage maps that speak to me in soft nautical colors.

Kristine Kennedy is on a mission. Since becoming the Editorial Director of Wayfair.com, the largest online-only retailer of home furnishings, she has made it her mission to bring the pride and passion back to the label of “homemaker”. . . one blog post at a time.

The Wayfair brand is offering customers, who are passionate homemakers, inspiration and value as well as information. Committing to an active online presence on social sites such as Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter as well as having a stable of industry influencers like Kate Smith, president and chief color maven at Sensational Color, Matthew Mead, former style editor of Country Home magazine and Erika Johnson, the voice behind Radiant Republic blog (just to name a few) Wayfair shares with readers a colorful and active community of inspiration with ‘My Way Home’.

Kristine shared quite simply that Wayfair is committed to bringing nobility back to the moniker ‘homemaker’. “We want it to be a description about those who are passionate about their home, and we all are passionate about our home.”

Great news in the Triad as local leader, well known author and owner of Frank Myers Auto Maxx, Tracy Myers, announces a collaborative book with international sales training legend Tom Hopkins.

From Tracy’s site :

“The book, titled “In It To Win It”, will be a collaborative effort of Tracy Myers, Tom Hopkins and other Entrepreneurs and Professionals all around the world revealing their top secrets on an array of subjects ranging from health, wealth, marketing and business success. The book is due to be released in 2012.”

We asked on our facebook page what your favorite places were to shop for fresh fruits and veggies in the Triad. LeighAnne Hunt of You Time Solutions was first to respond and shared that her favorite place for fresh fruits/veggies was United Health Group‘s food service program trough Aramark. “I get great fruit and veggie trays already prepped from United Healthcare’s food service!” says Hunt. “. . . it is actually easier and cheaper than me buying veggies and fruit and cutting it up myself!”

Penney Duddy, FSD at United Health Care of Greensboro, shares “Yes we do buy from local people who have passed Aramark’s strict sanitation standards. We have a program for approved vendors who if they want to sell to us they have to pass certain quality and health inspections. They also have to have a letter of liability warranty. In the spring we will be having a local Farmer’s Market on site so we will be using a lot of local produce.”

Discover your local farmers at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market on Facebook!

Krankies Farmers Market prides itself as an all-local, producers-only market that offers a variety of fresh produce and foods to downtown Winston-Salem. Healthy, sustainable, and humane practices help them choose their vendors.

The introduction from the ncindependents.org website explains that “North Carolina Independents is a non-partisan association of unaffiliated voters who are challenging party-control of the political process. We’re helping to launch a national campaign to have Congress hold hearings on the second-class status of independent (i.e. unaffiliated) voters. While 40% of Americans self-identify as independent the entire political infrastructure has been built around the interests of the parties. Where is our voice in the mix? Where is our representation? Some 1.5 million North Carolinian’s are registered as “unaffiliated.” Are you one of them?”

From a recent USA Today article it was interesting to learn that “More than 2.5 million voters have left the Democratic and Republican parties since the 2008 elections, while the number of independent voters continues to grow.” But the big question is why?

What I have learned during my research to answer that question is that a growing number of Americans are fed up with the playground politics of our two party system. My husband and I had a lengthy discussion and agreed that politics in the United States has become more focused on who has control (Republicans/Democrats and corporations that feed them both) vs. who is doing what is necessary to effectively run our country and listen to and do what is right for the voters they represent.

FREEtheVOTENC explains that The Electoral Freedom Act hopes to restore the rights of voters because “Our state’s ballot access laws are intended to hinder competition and artificially assist the two major parties by placing unreasonable and unnecessary restrictions on any competition through restrictive signature requirements unparalleled in most other states.”

As Omar Ali rightly stated during his interview “Most Americans don’t want parties but policies that work.” That sentiment was echoed in fellow guest and registered Independent voter Brittany Rodman, when asked how she came to consider herself an Independent.

Brittany’s decision “took years to come to.” She went on to share that “by default I was born a Democrat by being a black woman from a working class family. I began to see this disconnect with all races and economic classes across America. . . . People are not satisfied with congress and we don’t see how we fit in or how our needs are met as a community.”

When asked why not pick one of the two existing political parties and fight for reform, Brittany’s answer best reflected a growing sentiment amongst voters of all ages . . . “I’ve never been a fan of picking the lesser of two evils.”

3) Public Library - The public library is an amazing community resource. You can take computer classes, access their premium business databases, receive planning consultations as well as receive direction in career development. It is as simple as contacting your local business librarian.

4) Board of Advisers – Having a trusted Board of Advisers that you can turn to as you make decisions for your small business will help you grow and learn faster that going it alone. It’s recommended to include people that are outside your area of expertise so that you can learn from their unique perspective and see the bigger picture of where your business can grow. Inc.com has an amazing article on How to Assemble a Board of Advisers.

5) Attend Local Social Events - Professional Networking and Educational Groups that offer FREE memberships such as Linking Greensboro and Linking Winston Salem are great examples. They offer social events that share the best and brightest from in and around the Triad on a regular basis. Not only to you get to network with other area professionals and small business owners – for the price of lunch, you get to learn from Triad’s brightest leaders who speak on a wide range of topics. They also offer networking online via Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin Groups – so even if you can’t make their events, you can still connect and benefit both personally and professionally!

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As a small business owner, what have been your top 5 resources to grow your company?

What resources have you discovered that are free or have little to no cost to you and your company?

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High Point Furniture Market was founded in 1909 as a convenient way for home furnishing retailers and manufacturers to meet to conduct business.
Until not long ago it was the largest furniture trade show in the world. Las Vegas challenges that … READ MORE